Sliding camera-front.



A. A. JOHNSON. SLIDING CAMERA FRONT.

APrLIoATIoH FILED Nov. 12, 190e.

Patented Deo. 6, 1910.

Elli Il UNITED STATES PATENT GEETCE.

ALEXANDER A. JOHNSON, F TACOIJA, lVfiS-ELIFTGTGN.

SLIDING CAMERA-FRONT.

Application filed November 12, 1908.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER A. JorinsoN, a citizen ot the United States, residing at Tacoma, in the county of Pierce and State of lVashington, have invented certain new and useful .improvements in Sliding Camera-Fronts, ot which the following is a specitication.

This invention rela-tes to pl'iotographic cameras, and more particularly to adjustable :fronts therefor, and has tor its object to provide an adjustable liront of novel and durable construction, which may be manufactured at low cost from stock material..

A. particular object ot 'the invention is to provide a front of the class described having a. locking means adapted to allow the device to be adjusted. with great ease, the locking means being especially constructed and adapted to obviate binding between the sliding parts.

Uther objects and advantages will be apparent troni the following description, and it will be unde tood that changes in the specilic structure shown and described may be made within the scope oit the claims, and that any suitable materials may be used without departing from the )irit of. the invention.

ln the drawings forming' a. portion of this speeitication, and in which lilre numerals oi' reference indicate similar parts in the sev eral views, Figure l is a liront` view of a i'ro-nt board equipped with the present device, Fig. 2 is a rear View of the same, Fig. l is a cross sectional view centrally ot' vthe device, Fig. il is an end view. 5 is a view similar to lfig. 3, showii'ig the members in binding position.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown camera front oit the usual type comprising a base l() carrying standards 1l adapted to support a lens board by any of the usual methods. Secured to the front ot the base portion there is a guide plat-e l2 extending across the 'front of the base, and projecting therebelow, as shown, a horizontal slot 13 being formed therethrough stopping short oil the opposite sides ot the trent. The plate l2 is provided with integral end flanges Tl bent over the ends of the base l0 and secured thereto as shown.

Secured to the rear face of the base 10 there is a guide plate l5 similar to the one 12 and having a slot 1G formed therein similar to and in registry with the one 13. It

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. il, 1910.

set-au no. were.

will be noted that the plates l2 and l5 project downwardly below the base it) to provide guide portions adapted to receive a carriage i7 slidably therebetween. ln the lower 'face of the base l0 there is Jiormed a groove 1S extending across the iront and receiving a tongue l@ carried by the upper edge of the carriage 1T. The earriagemember 17 comprises a cross piece 2O having a guide piece 2l secured thereto, and comprising a plate secured across the rear liace oli the cross piece 20 and having its opposite end portion stamped to lorm the usual pent ent guides 22 utilized in such construction. A flange portion 23 is extended beyond the guide portion, and is secured over Athe front face of the cross piece 20, the intermediate portion 24E to which the guides Q2 are directly connected being disposed over the ends of the cross piece 20. lt will be understood that the plates l2 and l5 and the guide members 22 may be secured to the adjacent supporting portions in any suit-` able manner.

Formed centrally of the carriage l? and through the member 2l there is a laterally extending passage 25 registering with the slots l?) and l@ for a purpose to be subsequently indicated. Secured to the lower tace ot' the cross piece 20, and extending upwardly and outwardly over the slot l@ there `is an angular spring 2G having a not portion 27 at its upper end, Jrovided with a threaded perforation disposed in registry with the passage :25. Disposed revolubly in the passage there is a shaft- 28 having a lniurled head 29 disposed at its for end, inwardly or which there is a wa sli-er engaged around the shalt and a lapted to take up the pressure ol the head QQ upon the adjacent portion of the plate 12. lt will be noted that the shaft 28 extends through the slots l2) and 1G, and at its rearward end is threaded and engaged in the nut Y for clamping engagement upon the plates l2 and l5 upon manipulation of the head Q9, as will be clearly apparent. `The spring 26 normally tends to set outwardly 'iroin the adjacent plate l5 as `will be noted in Fig. 8, and the downwardly projecting gnide portions ot the plates l2 and l5 also normally set away from the adjacent faces of the carriage 1'? toallow free sliding movement thereof. It` will thus be seen that upon release of the shaft 28 from engagement with the nut 27, the sprino1 26 will move out- \\'ardly from engagement -with the plate l5 and the carriage 1T will thus be relieved of any binding action between the guide portions, as will at once be apparent.

It will be noted that the plate 21 and the guides Q2 are adapted to be st-amped integrally from sheet material and provide an unusually strong carriage when secured to the cross piece Q() by means of a suitable screw as illustrated at Q0.

Suitable openings are provided in the adjacent portion Q-t of the plate 2l above the guides 2Q for the reception of a revoluble shaft 3() carrying the usual pinions for engagement with the rack 32 carried by a tracl; portion 32 engaged with the guides It will be noted that by the construction of the guide portions, as presented, the standards are secured in rigid relation with the carriage 17, by the use of material of a minimum size, the clamping engagement of the shaft with the nut being calculated to further strengthen and increase the rigidity of the engagement of the upper section with the carriage.

lllhat is claimed is:

l. A camera front adapted for adjustable lateral movement and comprising a carriage portion and a lens carrying frame engaged slidably thereon, said frame carrying front and back side plates having pendent portions provided with registering slots extending laterally of the front and engaged slidably with the carriage portion, said carriage portion having a brace plate secured to the rear face thereof and extending over its opposite ends, the end portions of the plate being provided with pendent track engaging portions, and carrying revolubly a shaft and pinion adapted for engagement with a rack, said carriage having a passage therethrough registering with said slot and having an angular spring secured thereto and extending upwardly over one of the guide plates, said spring normally setting' outwardly of said plate, and carrying a centrally threaded nut portion at its outer end disposed in registry with said passage. and a threaded shatt engaged through the passage and with said nut. and having a lnurled head at its opposite end outwardly of the adjacent guide plate, and adapted for clamping engagement with said plates to retain the frame adjustably upon the carriage.

2. In a camera front, the combination with a carriage portion, of a frame having spaced plates secured to opposite sides thereof and engaged slidably with the carriage, said plates having laterally extending registering slots, a nut member carried by the carriage and having a threaded opening therethrough in registry with the slot, said carriage having a passage therethrough registering with said slots and opening, and a headed screw member engaged through the slots and opening and with the nut for clamping engagement with the guide plates, to hold the frame adjustably at various points on the carriage.

3. In a camera front, the combination with slidable sections, one of said sections having a passage therethrough, and the other ot' said sections having a slotted portion disposed in registry with the passage: of a nut member carried by the first named section and disposed in resilient spaced relation with the slotted portion, and a. headed screw member engaged through the slotted portion, through the passage and with the nut for clamping engagement with the sections.

4. A camera front comprising relatively slidable sections, one of said sections having an overlapping slotted portion, the other ot' said sections having a perforation therethrough registering with the slot and carrying a nut disposed in resilient spaced relation with the slotted portion, said nut having a threaded opening therethrough registering with the perforation, and a headed screw member engaged through the slot and passage and with the nut for clamping engagement with the sections.

5. In a camera front, the combination with a section carrying a headed screw member of a relatively slidable section having a slotted portion disposed slidably over the screw. and a nut member disposed in resilient spaced relation with the slotted portion and adapted to receive the screw therein.

G. In a came a front including resiliently overlapped relatively slidable members. one of said members having a central perforation therethrough and the other having a slot disposed in sliding registry with the opening, of an interiorly threaded nutdisposed in resilient spaced relation with the overlapped members. and a headed screw member engaged with the nut and through the overlapped members for adjustable clamping engagement of the members.

'l'. In a sliding front for cameras, the combination with relatively slidable members, of a lock member carried by one of the sliding members in resilient spaced relation with the other` and an engaging member engaged with and adapted to clamp the lot-Lr member adjustably against the second slidable member.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER A. JOHNSON.

Titnesses Jon ToMYoii, ANTHONY Lucas. 

